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Glycine betaine surfactant derivatives: synthesis methods and potentialities of use. The term "betaine" is used to refer to the glycine betaine, but also its derivatives and an organic compound carrying a quaternary nitrogen. Glycine betaine is an amphoteric small compound, very polar that acts as osmoprotectant in plants and protective agent of the liver, of the heart and of the vessels in human. In order to exploit its numerous effects, researchers synthesized surfactant derivatives including alkylbetaines, alkylamidobetaines, betainates (esters of glycine betaine monomers, geminis and bolaforms) and betainamides (amides of glycine betaine). Alkylbetaines and alkylamidobetaines are produced on the industrial scale and are used as amphoteric surfactants in cosmetics. They are less irritating compared to sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). Betainates and betainamides are produced on laboratory scale. Betainates monomers are more biodegradable than the current esters while betainates geminis and bolaforms present respectively surface and membrane activities more interesting compared to their analogous monomers. Only the chemical way is used until now for their synthesis.